Spring-wheel.



UNITED STATES onirica'.-

omr nomen, 'or Brumes, montana.

sparire-WHEEL.' i l 4To all whom it may concern.' y Be it known that I',Giurvlflmrrnn, 'a citi-l zen' of vthe United States, residing atBillings, in the county of Yellowstone and State of Montana, haveinvented new and Vuseful Improvements in Sprin Whee1s, ofwhieh ,prolongthe life of the saine.

the following is a speci cation. f

This invention relates lto -1m` rovements 1n the construction of springspo e wheels.

spokes are looped upon themselves` and metal sleeves arranged withinftheloops through which sleeves pass the Abolts thatY ,connect the spokes tothe hub and tothe rim of the wheel, and thereby relieve theends of thespokes from unnecessary strain'and It is also my purpose to 'construct'a spring spoke Wheel, having a hub of a novel construction wherebya'reduced spindle may be arranged therethrough and secured thereon so asto accommodate the wheels to` various sizes of axles, spindles,.shaftsor the like.

A. further object of the invention is to produce a spring spoke wheelhaving the hub thereof provided with an annular flange' upon one of itssides and a hub cap for the opposite side, to arrange between the flangeand the hub cap the inner looped ends of the spring spokes, and toemploy the elements connecting the spokes for alsoxconnecting the flangeof the hub and the hub cap and to further arrange between the fiange andhub cap and to the opposite of the spokes rubber block or filler memberswhich in addition to supporting the said inner ends of the spokes` willabsorb a part of thestrain or shock imparted to the said spokes and alsoprevent rattling andy wear of the parts atthe hub portion of the Wheel.y

`It is a still further object of the invention to produce a spring spokewheel having a f rim comprised of flat side members and an inner orfiller memberythe side members being provided with inturned'lugs throughwhich pass bolts thatengage with theouter ends of the spring spokes andthe construction boing such asto erm'itofatread mem-E- y ber being-arranged u y etween the .sides-,Wand in tli-ll "'wmmbrowhe'leby" iffthedimember" maybe yarranged `upon the'ffillerf member between thesidefanges and secured 'thereto' or 'further wherebyga" peripheral Y ingwithin the scope' In carrymgout my invention it is my pur-` pose to'provide a wheel havingspring spokes wherein' the opposite ends of said"S'peiatglon of Letters Patent.' Patented' 1.91"?v sppuctipn naa July1i, 191e.' "sciame-roam. i 5

" l `flanged be. arranged upon'tliei' rim Y andl overivthe fentes,l 'sothat the device Springville? may 'be' employed .either gear-0r a plley-VWiththeaboveand;other objects-'iin ieW the improvement resides' in" theconstruction,

combination and arrangement of` parts forth inthe?following'speciiication and fall- -In the drawings.:

of th'appended claiinsiig' constructed rinV aecordancejwiththefp're'sont invention, 'a3' portion'of the rim and a por'- .tion ofthe hub-being broken away and parts j being shown in section,

' Fig. 2`is an'enlarged detail sectional view' 'approximately on theline 24-"72, of Figzwl,

enlarged edge Viewv of .one`r Fig. fis'jan ofthe spokes,-

. Y. f Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one "of in the construction ofthe hub, 1 i

Fig. 5 is ay perspective view of the reducing spindle for the'hub andthe'cap 'member therefor,` .y Fig. vis a detailtransv'erse sectionalvview through the rim illustrating thearrang'e- .ment of the rubberblockmember between the ears of the side membersof the ring and alsoillustrating the filler. member `as `provided with'a lateral langewhereby the wheel is converted into a pulley,

Fig. 7 is a cross sect1onal`view through theI hub of the wheel showingthearrange- 'ment of some ofthe spokestherein before the compressibleblock `members are* arranged upon the hub and between the spokes, Fig. 8is a fragmentary elevation of the rim illustrating the arrangement of.periph-y.

eral teeth thereon, f y v y y Fig. 9 isa similar view` illustratingthe`the hard rubber block' members employed kso relation of the spur teethupon' the periphery of, the wheel, and' Fig. l() is a detail viewillustrating the filler member projecting through `the side members ofthe ring. Referring now vto the `drawings 'in detail, the wheel'isbroadly indicated by the char#` I acter A and includes a hub 1, rim orelly'Z,

and bowed resilient spring steel spokes 3 ,'ljietween the huba'nd rim'and connected to fragmentary 'sectional arranged 'ltangentially asclearly `shown by` f' the'drawings "The hub'l, upon one ofitsv sides orfaces `is formedwith an 'annular' VHarige 4 while'tsopposite end' isreduced providing `the same with a shoulder-5. The numeral 6 designatesthe hu'b cap which is adapted to surround the'reduced extension ofthehub and Vte rest upon the shoulder 5.

'connecting bolts 9 that are provided with" securing nuts 10.

i The rim or felly 2 includes side-members 11, each comprising a ring orannulus and disposed -between the said side members is an annular inneror filler member 12 which'may if desired, projectbeyond 'the peripheryof the sidemembers 11 toform the tread'for the wheel.- The side members11 are flat in cross section and have theirinner peripheries at spacedintervals formed with inwardly extendlng earsA 13, the ears of one of'the members 11 being disposed opposite the ears of the other member andthe alining ears being provided with openings through which are passedbolts 14 having securing nuts 15. The vside members 11, at determinedinterv vals, are provided with registering openings through which pass-securing elements 16 that retainv the inner yor filler member 12between the said elements. As disclosed in Fig. 2 of the drawings thefiller member may be arranged inwardly of the outer peripheral edges ofthe side members 11 and may receive therebetween andhave secured theretoa tread member 17 'which may be in the nature of a solid tire or Ain thenature of a .pneumatic tire, or the said side members -may have arrangedtherebetween a ring provided with spur teeth 18 (see Fig; 9) or a ringprovided with gear teeth 19 (see Fig. 8)'. By this arrangementit will benoted that the ,wheel may be vused. in a number of capacities,and inaddition to the tread 17,

spur teeth 18 or gear 19 the said side mem? bers may have arrangedtherebetween and secured thereto the central rib 20= of an annulus 2.1,as shown in Fig. 6 so'that the wheel maybe used as a pulley to receive abelt if desired.

The tangentially arranged spring spokes 3 have both of their ends loopedu on themselves and secured to the said spole proper, as indicated bythenumeral 21', and within each of these loops is arranged a cylindricalbearing 22 through which the bolts 9 and 14 pass so that the bolts donot contact directly with the looped ends of .the said spokes and alsowhereby thevends of the said spokes' are relieved fromunnecessaryfriction and the life of the spokes consequentlyI prolonged.

` It will be noted that each of the spokes has one of its ends arrangedbetween a registering pair of the spaced ears 13 -of the side members1.1` of the .rimorxfelly and their op posite ends between the ange 4 andcap plate 6 of theuhub 1, and to reinforce and strengthen the ends ofsaid spokes, to add to the resiliency thereof and to cushion the same toprevent rattling incident to the shock and jar to which the same aresubjected,V I provide block members of hardened rubber. The blockmembers for theends of the confronting sides of the said ends ofthespokes`3. To accommodate the rounded ends of the spokes, each of theblocks 23 is grooved transversely, as at 24, and to add to the same withcentrally disposed radially eX- tending apertures 25. In some instancesonly a single aperture is required, but, of course, I. am not tobe-restricted to any numvlber, the'functions of the said aperturesbeing, as stated, merely to add to the resiliency of the cushion blocks.The cushionblocks 23 are of course substantially wedge-shaped plan andthe engagement of the grooves effectively retain the said cushion,blocks between the flange 4 and. cap 6 of the hub.

between the ears 13 of the side members 11 Vwith the rounded ends .ofthespokes will Vthe resiliency of the said blocks 'I'provide of the rim orltread are indicated by the each provided withra transverse slot conforming to the outer rounded or looped end of the .spokes 3, and are'adapted to receive the said ends of the said spokes. The peculiarformation of the cushioning blocks 50 permit of the same being retainedbetween the ears of the side members of the rim'by the contact betweenthe same and the ends of the spokes 3.

The bore 26 of the hub 1 communicates with a transversely arrangedgroove 27 and this groove is adapted to receive a longitudinallyarranged spline or tongue 28 provided -upon a reduced spindle 29. Thespindle has one `of its ends flanged ,or provlded with va head 30 andvits opposite end is threaded, whereby to receive aninteriorly threadedcap member 31. The bore of the reducing sleevefmay be provided with atransversely arranged slot, similar to -the slot 27, and whereby anumber of reducing sleeves may 'be arranged one within the other andconnected one with the other and all with the hub,so that the devicermaybe Lezama be'einp1oye-tlI usutil'l, it' is thought'.r he readily`understood. l From the uhoi'c description, taken in Con .nection withthe accompanying cl.ri i\ving,.the 6 s iinplioity'of the device, :iswell ns thendi'iiu'tnges thoic'oi"\\'i11, it thou ;ht'.y 'bc pcifectlyuppiu'cnt to those skilled in the irrt to which 'suc-h invention.nfppertnins Vwit-hoii't 'Further (letailetl"description,

1-0 Hoving: thus described the invention, what IIA wheel including nhub',- t-:uige1itinliy :uruugeil slniug'spphos und nV rim, .snicihubcom|'nisingL u nlruiher hui'ing zi flange otono 15 oi its curls, n 'rapscoured. to vits other ond, the spolirs having their opposite. endslient to proviilo loops und saiicl loops being' con# V:,Lortoil with thc.spokes propel; '.1 tubular iioxiblc cushion blocks disposed betweenthe' 'Hnge and the cap. of the 'hub and contacting; with the spokes. therim'coinprising n plurality of connected sections, and means, passingvthrough thcouter sec-tioi'is and 3 through `the tubulin. meinbersin theouter .ends of tho spokes for securing the spokes to the rim.

A n'hcel including;4 u-hnb, n rim and spring siiokes between the hubanti rim, said riin fV-.oinln'isi'noj side members nncl a liller 'memberbetween thcsidcsf spaced .nlining .cau-s 'upon the inner' edge of theri1n,-the

hie-univr 1u cach ol the loops, theinnei ends 20 of the spokeszu'luptorl to be received betwg-u the. flung@- oil. thc huh :unl the copof Huil] huh, u'irnus [Missing through the sziifl rup 4:unl .smid huhnml'through the tubulin viuciulnrrs upon tho s'zinl'innor ends of the.spokes lfor securing the spokes to the hub,

lspokes being' 'disposed Vtangentiiilly between tluI riin und the hub:incl having their ends roiiuileil, roller inenibers withinthe rounded-@nils of' tho spokes, bolts passing tl'nfongh the roller members forconnecting the spokes to the hfuh und to the rim, and compressiblemembers disposed between the curs ofthe 4 'sirio members of tho riin andreceiving the cnt lsof thc spokes. E

In testimony 'whereof I affix my Slgiinture.

.GUY HUNTER.

